Denial and Consequences
by SerenityEx
Summary: This story follows Jade and Tori when they find themselves needing each other the most. Both are in denial about their feelings, but certain situations bring them closer and closer together. This story will mess with your feelings, so if you're after something deep, sweet, sad and enjoyable; look no further. (JORI, COMPLETE)
1. Chapter 1

_You'd be crazy if you think I own these characters or the TV show they're based off. Just a quick note, I have always shipped Jori but I could never find a decent fanfic about them so I decided to write my own. It starts out a little slow, but I assure you there will be some serious romance going on between Tori and Jade, shippers prepare your feels because I'm going to mess with them a LOT throughout this story._

_Reviews, comments and feedback are all welcome and I thank you from the bottom of my heart whoever you are for taking the time to read the story. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 1 – The Feeling**

_**Tori**_

I sat at my usual table, barely listening to Robbie and Rex argue, with Cat laughing along to anything that was said. I was too busy staring into my salad, feeling a little apprehensive and down today to care about what was going on.

Sikowitz had given me a lower grade on the latest assessment than what I thought I'd get, and I was trying to figure out what I had done wrong.

"Wait!" Said Cat, "Robbie how could you?"

Robbie stopped arguing with Rex and looked at Cat who was sitting beside me. "What did I do, Cat?"

Cat's mouth downturned and she looked as if she was about to cry. "You left me alone in a dark alley to fend for myself while both my arms were broken!"

"Wait, what?" Robbie had his usual dorky confused look on his face. "When did that _ever _happen?"

"Just now. I was calling for help and you came and I told you to call an ambulance but you said you didn't want to and then you just walked away and left me. I had two broken arms!"

"Cat, you can't just get angry at me for something I did in your imagination."

She glanced down at the table, hands fumbling with her hair and just as she was about to say something Jade smacked her bag into the table angrily and shoved me out of the way.

"Dude?!" I said in annoyance as my salad fell to the ground. "Great, now I have floor salad. Thank you."

"Can it Vega," said Jade furiously, gripping her hands so tightly her knuckles turned white. Which was saying something because Jade was really pale, but in a good way. It seemed to extenuate her beauty in somehow.

_Wait, _I thought to myself, _did I just call Jade beautiful?_

"Are you okay, Jade?" Said Robbie.

"I'm fine," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Yeah you are," said Rex waving a hand at her with the help of Robbie, "You're real fine girl."

"Rex!" Robbie slapped a hand over the puppets mouth who grumbled in protest.

If Jade was angry before, she was an inferno now. "You had better shut that goddamn puppet up before I-"

"Hey, Jade." Sinjin said, coming out of nowhere.

"WHAT?!" she screamed and stood up.

Sinjin's eyes widened and he flinched before murmuring something about feet and then he ran off.

"I've had enough," Jade grunted, grabbing her bag and storming off.

"Well, that was unexpected." Andre remarked.

"I should go see what's wrong with her," I said sympathetically.

I always hated seeing someone in distress and all I wanted to do was make Jade feel better. Even if it meant her making me feel bad.

"Well good luck with that." Andre returned to his food and Cat and Robbie went back to arguing like nothing had just happened.

As it was, I found Jade in the janitor's closet. She was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and she was picking at her fingers with a large pair of silver scissors.

"Hey, Jade." I said gently, shutting the door and sitting down next to her. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I had a feeling that she would cut me open if I did.

"Vega." She replied in a low tone. The black nail polish on her fingers was fading and there were parts where it was chipped.

"Sooo… did you hear about that new exchange student visiting here? I wonder what they'll be like, I mean if they-"

Jade sighed loudly, cutting me off. "Can you just not talk?"

I shrugged; she wasn't exactly telling me to go away so I moved a little closer to her. When she didn't do anything, I put my arm around her shoulders, giving her a one armed hug. After a few seconds, I went to pull away and go back out to the gang; but Jade closed her eyes and rested her head on my shoulder.

Butterflies swarmed around my stomach as I felt her breath on my neck which gave me goosebumps, her black hair tickled my cheek but for a moment… us sitting here like this; it felt right.

Time seemed to stop briefly, and the butterflies were roaring inside my stomach; the smell of her hair and perfume only made it worse.

It was the bell that rang which broke us out of our moment, Jade tensed and I jumped a little.

"We should get going." I said.

Jade untangled herself from my arm quickly, which didn't seem to want to let her go, and shouldered her bag. "Sikowitz will have a fit if we're late."

"Yeah," I agreed nervously, almost ready to fling myself at Jade and hold her again.

Why was I feeling like this? We were friends, weren't we? I had never really thought about her in that way before, but seeing her and holding her had awoken something inside me I didn't even know I possessed.

"Look," I said, chewing on my lip nervously. I wasn't sure if I should say anything, but I felt like I _had_ to say _something_. "Whatever it is, Jade. I'm sure it will all work out. I'm here as a friend for you and if you need anything…"

"Shut up, Vega. Don't pretend you know me when you don't. You know _nothing_."

She stormed out, and guilt washed over me draining out all of the butterflies that filled my stomach.

I wished that I could do just _something_ right today.

* * *

"Okay class," Sikowitz said as he clapped his hands together and grinned creepily. "We're going to do an exercise."

"Does it involve pain?" Jade said in her usual bored tone from the back of the room.

She acted like nothing had happened between us not moments before. Though she didn't look at me, I wondered how she felt. Was she as conflicted as I was?

No she wouldn't be. Jade is so strong and sure of herself, I tried to tell myself I was just nervous and upset about my low grade and that's why I felt so confused.

Sikowitz started laughing hysterically, unaware of my conflicted feelings and the turmoil inside my mind. His balding head gleamed off the bright lights in the room as he cackled loudly.

"Oh Jade." He said, pinching the hairs of his beard, still grinning. "You are such a sour delight sometimes." Turning to sit on the stage, he lifted one foot up and started picking at his toes, seemingly oblivious to everyone in the room.

"Um, Sikowitz?" I said, raising my hand slightly.

"What is it, Tori? I'm busy."

"Uh, weren't we going to do an exercise?"

He stopped picking momentarily to stare at the classroom as if it was his first time seeing the room filled with people. "Right. Okay Tori, Jade, Cat. On stage now."

I heard Jade groan in annoyance and Cat squealed with delight, "My brother went on stage once," she said innocently, playing with her flaming velvet hair. "But he did something inappropriate so now he's never allowed on any stages or near them again."

The room was silent for a little while, before Sikowitz clapped his hands together and strolled to the back of the room in his usual bare feet. "Tori and Jade will pretend to be a dating couple who are fighting over Cat, who both of them have suddenly fallen in love with."

I brushed my hair back with one hand and sighed, "What's the point of this?"

"What is the point you ask? Well I'll tell you. Actors need to push themselves beyond their boundaries. In the world of theatre and drama the main thing is that you learn how to constantly change your style of acting; otherwise how can you grow and become a stronger, more believable character?"

Andre shrugged and nodded, "That's understandable."

"I hope to grow into something better one day," said Robbie.

"Yeah, you would," Rex stated in his urban accent, "Except you need to work on the growing part, shortie."

"Shh, Rex!"

Sikowitz suddenly threw a book as hard as he could on stage, barely missing me and almost hitting Cat in the legs. "Enough dibber dabber, action!"

Jade and I shared a glance, as if we were both thinking back to the janitor's closet. I wondered if she was feeling the same things I was feeling, maybe it didn't mean anything. Maybe I was just overthinking it. I just really cared about her that was all.

"I said action!" Sikowitz repeated after a moment of awkwardness.

"I thought you cared about me!" I said, slipping into the role of a male, making my voice a little deeper and crossing my arms.

"I thought _you _cared about _me_," Jade replied, also slipping into character making her voice a little higher than usual with a slight accent.

"Well I don't know what came over me, I just suddenly love Cat."

Cat started giggling, "I'm Cat."

Sikowitz groaned from the back of the room, which stopped us form continuing. "That was the worst performance I have seen from you three all year. Sit down before you accidentally poke an eye out."

"My brother did that once," said Cat, skipping to her chair and smiling at nothing in particular. "Now he can't see right out of one eye, he always walks into walls." She paused, "My brother has issues."

Sikowitz walked to the front of the room and waved his hands in the air, ignoring Cat. "As actors, you need to be able to think on the spot. Improvisation is the one key to being a truly successful actor…"

He droned on about improv and acting, but I barely listened. I kept stealing glances at Jade, who didn't seem to notice me at all. I couldn't work out how I was feeling or what I was feeling. I liked Jade, sure. But she suddenly seemed different to me, in a good way.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi there, please post reviews it helps me write faster! I'm just going to post chapters whenever I feel like it, so there aren't going to be set dates because I usually get too excited. I'm just going to say now that there isn't going to be any sex scenes, so if you were hoping for some I'm sorry to disappoint you. Also last quick note, I'm Australian so sorry if I spell some words wrong. I tried to use American spelling where I could._

**Chapter 2 – Again**

_**Jade**_

I sat in my car, parked out the front what _was_ my house. My fingers thrummed the steering wheel in no particular tune; I stared at the front door like it somehow held the answer to world peace.

_I could just go inside. _I thought to myself. _I mean it's not like it would matter._

Mom wasn't home, like usual. The front door key was still on my keychain. She had demanded it back when we were arguing but I didn't care enough about her to do anything she said.

My fingers stopped their tuneless thrumming as if on their own accord, and I gripped the steering wheel tightly. I considered calling her, to ask if we could talk things out, to ask if I could come back home.

But it would probably end up in another argument, and I didn't think that I could deal with that right now.

I also hated the idea of asking my mom for _anything._

My phone was in my lap, and I stared at it for what may have been the hundredth time. Calling Cat was on my mind right now, her and I were friends; she might let me stay the night. At least until I could figure things out.

Again, my fingers moved on their own accord and I had already dialled Cat's number, pressed the PearPhone to my ear before I realised what I was doing.

I was about to hang up, but she had already answered the phone. "Hello, this is Cat!" She said in a giddy voice.

"Cat. Hey. It's me."

"Jade? Oh, Jade! Hi Jade. I didn't see you in last period today, I wondered where you were but then I got distracted because I also wondered where chalk was made. Isn't that a funny word? Chalk." She started giggling, and before she could babble on anymore I quickly interjected.

"Cat, is it okay-" I sighed, asking people for things was something that I hated more than the word panties. It wasn't because I couldn't; it was because I hated to rely on people. They always let you down in the end. "Look is it okay if I come-"

"-Wait, that's not a good idea!" she interrupted me, shouting at someone. Probably her brother. "Oh no. that's really not good. Jade I have to go. My brother stopped breathing again."

She hung up and I didn't have the energy to remove the phone from my ear, it was like it was glued there.

_Great. Cat was definitely not an option._

Sighing again, it let my head rest on the back of the car seat. Who else could I call? Andre and I were never really close, and his grandmother was scared of me more than she was of everything. Robbie was too desperate and he might see it as something more. Beck- no. I wouldn't even consider Beck for anything. We weren't together anymore, I didn't need him.

_Tori._

Stupid Vega. My thoughts went back to the janitor's closet and I felt a wave of guilt. Was it guilt though? She was the only one to really seem to care about my problems, even if I still was being distant from her.

I really _really _didn't want to ask her help for anything, but it was getting late. The sun was setting. I had nowhere else to go.

I dialled her number, no one answered. Trying one more time, it was at the last ring before I heard a clash, a snap and then ruffling.

"Hello, Tori's phone?" It was Trina, why was she answering her sister's phone?

"It's Jade."

"Ugh it's you. What do you want?"

"Is Tori there?"

I heard Trina lower the phone a little, "TORI!? YOUR FREAKY FRIEND IS ON THE PHONE!" she shouted deafeningly. "WHAT?! STILL?! NO. IT'S YOUR TURN." She was silent for a seconds, then; "FINE. Look whatever it is you want Tori is busy at the moment."

"I'm coming over."

"What_ever_."

I hung up and started my car. Driving to her house was effortless, I don't really remember getting there, but before I knew it I was standing in her doorway and banging on it.

"IT'S OPEN." Trina shouted and I walked in.

Sure enough, Trina was on the red sofa, one leg sprawled over the back of it and the other was raised in the air. She was juggling nail polish in one hand, painting her toes horribly, and a pickle in the other which she chewed nonchalantly. There was a phone squeezed to her ear and she was engrossed in whatever conversation was going on. She set her pickle aside and started glossing up her lips and puckering at her feet.

"Where's Tori?" I asked darkly.

Trina looked up briefly from her toes to give me an exasperated look. "She's still at school."

"Then why did you answer her phone? Who the hell were you shouting at?"

"I'm on the _phone _can't you see."

"I'm about to beat you senseless with my _fists_, can't you see?"

She eyed me briefly before muttering something into the phone and sitting up. "She left her stupid phone here, and not that it's any of your business but I was shouting at mom."

"Where is Tori?" I repeated, a little harsher with my words. I really don't like Trina.

"Like I said, she's still at school. That Robbie guy got his foot stuck in his locker so she had to stay back and help him get it out. Now can you please just leave me alone? I have a cute boy I'm going to go see and I need to make myself beautiful."

I rolled my eyes. "You're going to need a lot more than lip gloss and nail polish to make yourself look pretty."

She glared at me, then picked up her phone again and resumed the conversation she was having.

I sighed.

It was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Beginnings**

_**Tori**_

Once I had unstuck Robbie's foot from his locker I went to update my status on TheSlap but I realised I had left my phone at home again. _Great._

Trina was probably going through my messages and contact list to find a new guy she could stalk or harass.

At least I made it home safely.

When I opened the front door, I saw someone's bag on the sofa. Trina was on the kitchen counter, applying avocado vigorously to her arms and face.

"Hey, Treen." I said, "Where's my phone?"

She pointed to the coffee table and grunted something I didn't quite hear.

"Whose bag is that?" I asked as I went through my phone, looking for any signs of that Trina had messed with someone I know. She muttered something again in response. "What?"

"I said," she shouted too loudly, "it's your freaky friends'." Some avocado on her face dropped and spilled onto her jeans. "Now look what you made me do, these are _designer, _Tori. Dammit."

I was about to ask her what she meant by freaky friend, but at that moment Jade descended the stairs slowly.

"Jade?" I said, in confusion. "Why are you here? Wait. What were you doing up there?"

"I was in your room," she replied casually and in a bored monotone. "You have a lot of _things _in there."

I didn't like the way she said _things_, I didn't like the way she was in my room. I felt slightly violated.

Before I could ask her why she was here again, she walked back up the stairs giving me a creepy glance on her way up. Was it her mission to make me feel as uncomfortable as ever all the time?

"Trina!" I said, grabbing my bag and Jade's. "Why did you let her in my room?"

She stopped dabbing avocado to her arms and shrugged, "I don't care what she does."

I sighed and made my way to my bedroom, hoping that my clothes weren't slashed or my things were all broken.

To my relief, Jade was sitting on my chair, facing the door. She didn't react when I dumped her things on the floor, nor did she move when I sat on the end of my bed. I was glad that nothing seemed to have been touched so far; nothing looked out of place.

She was silent, I wasn't sure if I should say anything. She seemed angry about something, though thankfully the anger wasn't directed at me.

"So…" I said wiping my hands on my jeans like they were dirty. "Can I get you anything?"

Her head slowly clocked to the side slightly and raised one eyebrow, "Only something small and living that I can squeeze to death."

I raised my eyebrows, whenever she says anything morbid I always kind of freak out. "Well we're fresh out of squeezable animals. Do you want a coffee or something to eat or-"

"I got kicked out of home." She interrupted me, tightening her crossed arms over her chest protectively, as if I would somehow hurt her with a response.

"Oh." I said, and then it sunk in.

_Oh. _

Jade's mom had kicked her out.

I felt a gush of sympathy, and my first instinct was to hug her. But I knew she hated pity and hated people touching her, so I kept my emotions somewhat neutral and nodded.

"I see. So uh."

"We had a fight a few days ago. She told me that was it, she was sick of me. More so than usual. And then she told me to leave."

I bit my lip, thinking. "Well mom and dad just left on a business trip. Tomorrow's Friday and they won't be back until Monday. Do you want to stay here?"

Her lip quivered. Not in an angry way, not in an annoyed way. It was a sad way. I thought she'd cry, and she really looked like she would… but she just nodded quickly and crossed her ankles.

I wanted to ask her where she had been staying for the past few days, but something told me I didn't want to know.

Standing up, I looked around my room and spread my hands, "My home is your home. But I'm sorry we don't have any spare beds so unless you want to sleep in Trina's room… you're kind of stuck with me." I tried to give a reassuring smile, but only succeeded in making a half grimace, like someone just stepped on my foot.

Jade's face was unreadable, but something flashed in her eyes. But it was gone in an instant. She stood up, arms still tightly crossed like she was freezing cold.

My first instinct was to back up, but the bed was right behind me so I'd only just fall over like an idiot. So I held my ground. She didn't look like she was wielding any scissors, or anything that could harm me; that thought reassured me.

She slowly took it step by step to stand just inches from me, staring at the ground. I'll admit I felt really threatened right then. I didn't know what she would do, but what she did to shocked the breath out of me.

Hugging me close, Jade rested her head in the nook on my neck and sighed. Again, her hot breath roused more goosebumps. I wasn't sure what to do, so I held her close and rubbed her back slowly.

I didn't know how long we stood there, but the moment was perfect. For some reason, holding her in my arms just felt so right.

The emotions I was feeling were so conflicting, I wanted to never let her go. So when she finally pulled away, and I found that she was crying; there was nothing I could do but hug her again.


	4. Chapter 4

_Prepare your feels, I got a little emotional writing this; but it needed to be done. This chapter explains the reason why Jade is so morbid, creepy and standoffish._

_Like the story? Please hit the favourite button or take a few seconds to give me a review. It helps a lot to know you enjoyed my story and it gives me incentive to write faster (also it makes me feel good knowing you like it). Anyway, please enjoy :)_

**Chapter 4 – Confliction**

_**Jade**_

Here I was again, sitting in my car outside my house, staring at the building as if I could somehow burn it down with my eyes. The only reason I was here, was because I needed spare clothes. My mother had tried to call me several times, which was a surprise. Although when I listened to the voicemail all it did was harden my resolve about staying homeless.

She had been drunk (of course), and she only called me to remind me of what a horrible daughter I was. She also felt it was necessary to remind me that it was my fault dad had left. It was my fault he had remarried and of course it was my fault that he was now happy with his new family, and not his old one.

I sighed.

Tori had to stay back after school to practice a song her and Andre were working on together for an assignment. I didn't really care; right now all I wanted was to be alone with my feelings.

The house was big an ominous as it always was; with its dull colour and all of the windows that were either barred or closed.

It seemed like an old abandoned haunted house if anything.

There were cobwebs everywhere and the garden was so full of weeds and long grass as it had been since the gardener refused to come back and tend to it. He told me a strange lady kept trying to seduce him.

Of course because of my mother I couldn't persuade any other services to come to the house; not even pizza because of that very same reason.

My mother completely lost her dignity when dad had left.

I approached the front door, it was large and it was hardwood. I considered knocking first, but I didn't want to face my mother on the off chance that she was sober.

All I wanted to do was just to go inside, get my stuff and then never come back.

When I opened the door, I was hit with the smell of cigarette ash and alcohol. I found my mom sprawled out on the couch passed out. She was gripping a half a bottle of vodka, and two other empty bottles were scattered around her.

This was nothing new to me.

I often came home to this gruesome sight; the only difficult part was getting her upstairs into her bed without her abusing me physically and emotionally so much so I couldn't hide it behind a façade or makeup.

Leaving her there had crossed my mind. But she was still my mom, and although all I felt for her was hatred; she was still a person. And she looked so pathetic just lying there, if I didn't do something I would feel even worse than what I do now.

"Come on, mom." I murmured to her and hooked one of her arms over my shoulder.

It took a lot of effort and a lot of shouting, but I finally got her up the stairs and into her own bed.

She had hit me twice, and I suffered a round of insults and an interesting bout of swear words before she vomited to the side of her bed and then passed out again.

It was going to be a long weekend.

Once I had her cleaned up, I quickly gathered most of my things (plus my favourite scissors) into whatever could fit in my backpack and was out of the front door in no less than a few minutes.

My phone started buzzing as soon as I had put my seatbelt on. I stared at the screen; her name seemed to cut through all of the frustration and anger I was feeling… and replaced it with a warm fuzzy one.

It was Tori of course.

Stupid Vega.

I considered not answering it. I considered just starting up the car and driving as far away as I could out of this stupid town, away from this stupid school, free myself from my stupid broken family and forget all of my emotions.

But I couldn't.

Some irrational part of my brain refused to let myself go. It forced my hand to my phone. It forced my fingers to answer the call and it forced my arm up to press the phone to my ear.

Stupid Vega.

"Hello?" I said in monotone.

"Hey, Jade. It's Tori." She sounded as bubbly and happy as she usually did.

What I would give to feel like that right now.

"So?" I replied, gripping the steering wheel tight. "What do you want?"

She didn't seem put off by my hostility at all, in fact I thought I heard her smiling. "Well you weren't here when I got home so I was just wondering where you were?"

"I had some things to do. And the thought of being alone with Trina while she practices her singing is a punishment that should only be enforced on serial killers."

She giggled, and I found myself smiling slightly.

Stupid Vega.

Why was she making me feel these things?

I heard Trina singing in the background, and then I heard Tori telling her to keep it down. "I agree." She said, still smiling.

"Look, there's just one more thing I have to do. I'll be at your house in an hour."

"Awesome, I'll warm some popcorn. I found some movies I just know you'll _love._"

I couldn't help but smile again as I hung the phone up.

But my short bout of happiness didn't last long.

* * *

The graveyard was as morbid and eerie as it usually was when the sun was setting. All of the graves seemed alike, and they all seemed like they were staring at me with invisible eyes.

I loved it here.

Sometimes I wished zombies were real, and that one would bite me and I too would become undead; feeding off other human flesh. Not thinking. Not feeling. Just existing to cause other people pain to satisfy a hunger that never ended.

My thoughts derailed then when the reason why I was here came into view.

His grave was the same as usual.

The flowers I had placed there last year were long beyond dead and decomposing. I had a fake blood red rose in my hands this time, which I twirled around my fingertips.

I didn't say anything, I always kind of hoped ghosts existed, and that he was with me always. That he was proud of me and everything that I had done. That he was protecting me when mom got violent. Consoling me when dad never showed any affection and constantly let me down and that he was there with his good advice when things got bad.

In this world of misery, he was all I had left that I was proud to call my family.

Even if he was dead.

I placed the rose on the top of the tombstone with a heavy heart and a sinking feeling in the pit of my chest.

"Happy birthday, little bro." I muttered through tears.

I sat there for a long time. Not moving, not saying anything. Just staring at the fading words on the tombstone and crying.

"I wish you were here. You always tried to protect me." I wiped my eyes with the palms of my hands. "You were always there for me, no matter what. But the moment you needed me I couldn't protect you. I couldn't be there for you. And I will _never_ forgive myself. _I'm so sorry."_

I thumped my fists on the ground in anger, and then pressed my face against my legs tightly; as if it would absorb my shame and guilt.

"_I'm so, so sorry."_

Just slightly, I imagined I felt a small hand on my shoulder.

His hand.

Despite everything; despite mom becoming a mess after he died, despite dad leaving because of it and despite how broken inside our family always was…

...I felt something new and different slice through all of my anger and frustration, my confused feelings for Tori, my disappointment in my mother and the abandoning feeling of my dad…

It was forgiveness.

My brother had forgiven me.

_...I had forgiven myself._


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi there everyone! How are we all? How are your feelings after Chapter 4? I hope you're not too upset. I decided it was time to stop hurting you all and making you all sad so I made this chapter to hopefully repair your feels :) _

_On another note, I've been getting a few PM's about when this story is set. Well when I started writing it I imagined it was halfway between the end of season 2 and the start of season 3; however looking at it now its set somewhere after the end of the show. Either way I don't really think it matters too much._

_Anyway, please enjoy. Don't forget to favourite/follow the story if you haven't already. Or even just take a few minutes to leave a review, it helps me to write faster and it makes me feel good :)_

**Chapter 5 – Horizons**

_**Tori**_

It had started raining, and I was getting worried about Jade. It'd been about two hours since I called her and since then she hadn't replied to any of my texts. The night sky was illuminated by a large full moon that could only be seen through a break in the dark heavy clouds.

I was standing at my front door, partially because Trina had been practicing her 'singing' for three hours now and I think my ears would burst if I had to listen to it anymore; but I was mostly out here because I was waiting for Jade.

Sure enough she parked in my driveway a few moments later, though when she didn't get out I grew anxious. I wasn't able to see her in the car, because it was too dark, so instead I got in the passenger's side and gave her my best reassuring smile.

Jade sat there with her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, and keeping her eyes focused in front. She didn't say anything, nor did she move. I saw how tearstained her face was though, and her makeup was smudged and her eyes were red and puffy. She had clearly been crying for a long time.

I went to ask her if she wanted to come inside, but before I could say anything she started the car and backed out of the driveway so fast it was only until we were on the road did I buckle up my seat belt.

We sat in silence for a long time, eventually the amount of cars on the road dimmed down until it was only us. Jade drove casually with one hand on the wheel and the other picking at her stockings.

"Uh, Jade?" I asked quietly. The way she tensed when I talked almost made it seem like she had forgotten I was in the car, but she just kept her eyes on the road. "Where are we going?"

"I want to be alone."

I frowned, "Well I can get out here if you like…?"

"No." she said rather pointedly, "I mean… I want to be alone …with you."

I couldn't help but smile, and the warm fuzzy feeling crept up from my stomach and raced around my body so quickly I felt like I was glowing.

We drove for a long time; bit by bit Jade seemed to cool off. I don't know how long we drove for, but Jade's eyes never left the road and mine never left her.

After what seemed like a few seconds, but what had really been half an hour Jade's grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly.

"Jade?" I put my hand on her arm reassuringly, and I was surprised to find that she was freezing cold. She didn't shy away from the touch; in fact I didn't think she even noticed. "Pull up here."

Jade pulled over and turned the car engine off with a heavy sigh. She really looked like a mess, but I didn't care.

"Come on."

We were outside a small movie theatre and I got two tickets for any movie that was showing, barely glancing at the guy who served us. I slapped down whatever cash was in my pocket and dragged Jade into the cinema and all but forced her into one of the chairs.

"Why are we here?" She asked, resting her head on the back of the chair.

"You said you didn't want to think, what better way to do that then to watch some terrible movie?"

"I can think of a few. Who even does that?"

"Plenty of people."

"Fine, Vega I'll watch the stupid movie. But only because I want to."

I settled back into my chair a little smugly. Jade may be a wreck right now, but I had at least cheered her up. She didn't seem nearly as angry or sad as she was before; I made it a personal mission of mine to make her smile by the end of the night.

The movie was terrible. I wasn't paying attention to it because I had just realised that Jade and I were sitting really close; so close our arms were touching. I tried not to move, in case she realised and moved away. I was so nervous it was all I could do to not fidget; my heart seemed to be stuck in my throat.

Jade was quiet the whole time. She was shivering every now and then too; her clothes must have been soaked from the rain. My attention was focused solely on Jade, she smelled amazing. Like flowers and subtly of fresh earth and rain.

Ever so slowly, she adjusted herself in her seat. I stole a quick glance at her, and saw that she was crying again. Though it wasn't really crying, more like her eyes were leaking.

I lifted my arm up and put it around her shoulders in a small effort to show her that I was here. That I wasn't ever going to leave her no matter what. That when I was with her; everything seemed like it was going to be alright.

That I cared about her so much it hurt.

I held my breath because she suddenly relaxed into my side and rested her head on my shoulder.

Time froze.

This moment was perfect.

No matter what was going on in the outside world, or the rollercoaster of feelings inside me; I believed that in this moment everything would be okay.

And for another hour… it was.

I don't know when it happened, but my hand was in hers and she was gripping it like I would suddenly let go.

In this moment, I felt like never would.

Jade kept her head on my shoulder the whole time, and I rested my cheek on the top of her skull. I lifted my hand to gently wipe away a few stray tears and Jade looked up at me with those amazing, beautiful green eyes… and smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – Floodgates**

_**Jade**_

"As you all know," said Sikowitz, slapping the coconut he was holding so loudly it knocked me out of my daydreaming stupor.

I was daydreaming about Tori… Well, among other things. The weekend had gone too fast, and I needed to keep reminding myself of the fact that it was no longer a weekend.

I had been so open with Tori the whole time, that when I came to school this morning I actually complemented Robbie.

Yeah, he cried a little.

Sighing, I crossed my arms tightly around my chest.

While things seemed to be going a bit better now, I had a dark feeling in the pit of my stomach that kept reminding me that something bad _was_ going to happen.

That was the universes' way of keeping things balanced with me. Just when things were going good, something bad always happened. _Always._

At least I had survived the weekend at Tori's… and it felt good to actually _feel_ _good_ for once. I was grateful that her mother had agreed to let me stay with little questions asked. Knowing that I was going to have to call my mother sooner or later and work things out with her only made my foul mood even worse.

"The end of semester is coming up." Sikowitz continued, unaware of the turmoil inside my mind.

I stole a quick glance at Tori, who was sitting one seat in front of me.

Stupid Vega.

The way she made my heart race and my stomach do summersaults set me on edge. It reminded me of the feelings I had once felt for Beck. Why was I having them with her?

However, I was grateful that she at least knew me well enough to keep her distance at school. She knew that I didn't want everyone knowing about my problems, and she understood that if we suddenly started hanging out like best buds people would get suspicious.

We both didn't want that kind of attention.

"Now, what are we doing you might ask?" he threw his empty coconut out of the open window and slapped his hands together. "Anyone care to guess?"

Cat's hand was in the air faster than lightning. "We're all going to go sing to the elderly!"

Sikowitz's eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to figure out whether Cat was being serious. "No… Cat. I wouldn't do that even if I was payed to. I don't like the elderly."

Rex laughed from the back of the room, "Yeah, that's why you don't like yourself, huh?"

"Rex!" Robbie looked mortified, "You promised to be quiet during class!"

"And you promised to keep the door shut when you go to the bathroom, but you still don't."

A few people in the room snickered and Sikowitz chuckled. "Oh Robbie, if you were any weirder you'd make Sinjin look normal. Now. Back to the assignment. It's going to be a play of course. This is an acting class after all and _not_ a gospel choir."

"What's the play about?" Beck asked curiously.

"It's about two tourists from different countries who find true love in America when they both get lost at the same place."

I almost gagged. Sikowitz's plays were either horribly cliché or just horrible in general.

"Well who stars in it?" Said Tori eagerly. She was always keen for any chance to act or sing. That's what I liked about her, though I would never say it to her or admit it to myself openly.

"Aha!" Sikowitz drummed his hands on his stomach, before patting down his pockets for a small piece of paper that he handed to Tori. "Read that aloud."

"It says," she opened it up because it was folded about four different times. She cleared her throat before reading, "The first two people to ask about the play will get the leading roles." With a frown, she gave Sikowitz a '_what the hell' _look.

"Yes it does indeedy! So Beck and Tori you will both play the leading roles. Everyone else… well I don't care what you do just make it up as you go along."

Tori was going to lead in the play next to Beck. It wasn't the fact that she was going to star next to my ex that made me annoyed; it was the fact that she was going to have to kiss him.

_Wait, was I jealous?_

No I was long over Beck. I didn't care about him anymore. He could kiss whoever he wanted.

_Just as long as it wasn't Tori._

Wait, what? _Oh my God._

Realisation hit me like a tonne of bricks and I nearly fell out of my chair.

I was actually jealous of _Beck_…. I was jealous that he was going to kiss Tori.

_Stupid Vega._

This was definitely going to be a really long week.

I was sitting in the janitor's closet, again. Even my favourite pair of scissors couldn't cheer me up; the sciss just wasn't cutting it.

No pun intended.

I was in a horrid mood. Stupid Vega. I didn't care that she had the leading role in Sikowitz's play.

What I cared about was that she was going to make out with my ex-boyfriend.

_No that wasn't right. _

I was jealous that my _ex_-boyfriend was going to make out with _her_.

Stupid Vega.

Why did I feel like this? Why did she make me feel these things?

I felt my phone buzz and I looked at the caller; it was Cat of course. She was probably wondering why I had skipped the last two periods.

It didn't matter to me. I figured that so much was going on in my life right now; math and science weren't going to help me in any way.

Eventually the ringing died down after she had tried a few times. I wasn't in any mood to deal with her, and I knew I would only end up hurting her if I tried.

Another hour went by and school was almost finished. My phone started ringing again and I seriously considered throwing it at a wall.

Why couldn't people just leave me alone?

The number was unknown, so I knew it wasn't mom. Dad never called me so I knew it wasn't him. Everyone else I knew was saved in my contacts list so I didn't know who it could be.

"Hello?" I asked, as I pressed answer.

"Hello? Is this Jade West I am speaking to?" It was a woman's voice, she sounded old. Definitely not someone I knew.

"Speaking. What do you want?"

"Ah Miss West. This may come as a shock, and there is no easy way to say it but… you are needed down at the hospital urgently."

I sat bolt upright in shock, "What?! The hospital, why?"

"It's your mother. She's in a critical condition. She is stable now, but the doctor tells me she's been asking for you."

"What happened? Is she okay?"

"She's fine now, Miss West. The doctor will tell you all of the details when you come in. How soon can you be here?"

"I'm on my way now."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – **

_**Tori**_

I managed to get a lift home from Beck after we had finished rehearsing the first scene of the play. He had to drive a few other Northridge girls home as well, but luckily he dropped me off first so I didn't have to deal with them for too long.

When I opened the door, I heard something crash upstairs and then a muffled cry of my name.

"Trina?" I shouted. I knew that it was her because mom and dad were both at work.

Unless we were being robbed.

"Tori!" Another muffled shout.

I made my way upstairs and heard another thump from the bathroom. When I got there, I wasn't quite sure what to make of what I was seeing.

Trina was in the bath and looked as if she was soaking herself in custard. The whole bathroom was a mess; bits of custard lined the walls and the floor.

"What the hell?" I said exasperated, "Why are you bathing in custard?!"

Trina just rolled her eyes and pointed across the room to where a bowl was on the sink, the simple motion flicked more custard around the room. "Get me that, come on. I would do it myself but I don't want to mess this up."

I sighed and grabbed the bowl for her. "And what is exactly is _this?_"

"I'm sitting in a bath of custard, what does it look like?"

"Yeah but _why_?"

She snatched the bowl from my hands, and dumped the contents of it onto her stomach. It looked like it was sliced cucumbers, but I wasn't sure. "A girl at school told me that she rubbed custard into her face every day for a week and it got rid of her acne."

"So?"

"So… this week she had no acne and she looked pretty. I figured that if putting it on her face for a week made her pretty, then bathing in it for a week will make me stunningly gorgeous."

"And the cucumbers?"

"Everyone likes cucumbers." The doorbell rang and Trina gave me an annoyed look. "Well go get it! I need to soak for another three hours."

When I got to the door, I was expecting anyone but Lane to be standing there. "Lane? Oh hi, do you want to come in?"

He smiled slightly, "Hi Tori. No I'm afraid this will be very quick."

"What's up?"

"It's Jade, she's at the hospital."

My heart did a little skip and I had a mini heart attack. "What?! Jade? Why?!"

"Calm down, she's okay. It's her mom, something very serious has happened."

"What can I do?"

"The hospital called me in place of her father, they figured that as I guidance councillor I would be able to help Jade through this. However, I believe that we would get a better response from a friend and while I know that you and her have had your differences; you're really the only one I can count on."

"Not that I don't agree, but why don't we go ask Cat to come along too?"

"Oh believe me I've tried but when I went to her house her mother told me that she was at the _special _hospital with her brother and wouldn't be back until late. I know that Jade would completely close off if I asked Beck, because as I understand; she and him are no longer an item. So really, it's got to be you."

"How soon can we leave?"

When we got to the hospital, Jade wasn't anywhere to be found. The doctors said she had stepped out to get some air, but I couldn't find her and her I had tried to call her cell a few times but her phone was still off.

Lane was talking to the doctors; I wasn't family so I wasn't permitted to see her mom. I didn't think I wanted to anyway; I had never met her. I tried to keep my opinions neutral, to not judge her because I had never met her before… but she seemed to have a rocky relationship with Jade and she _had_ kicked her out.

The hospital smell and the constant feeling of dread was overwhelming for me, I needed to go for a walk. I had only been to a hospital a few times and I wasn't really sure where I was permitted, so I decided to just stay on the floor I was on and stick to the corridors.

It didn't take me long to find her.

I wasn't exactly looking for her but she was crying softly and if I wasn't walking so slowly I probably wouldn't have heard her.

The door to the storage room opened up noiselessly, and Jade didn't seem to hear me step in. Her head was in her hands and her hair was a tangled mess around her shoulders.

My heart gave another painful jolt at seeing her so completely shattered. All I wanted to do was hold her until she felt better I wanted to cuddle her until she wasn't hurting anymore. I would have done anything right then and there to take away her pain.

But I had to remind myself that we were just friends. There was no way that she felt the same about me as I did for her.

Very slowly, I reached out and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, she stiffened at the touch. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with tears and filled with such sadness; my heart broke in two.

She melted into my arms, and I just held onto her for dear life. It felt so right with me holding her, it was like the last piece of the puzzle; I felt like when I was with her everything made sense.

She still cried, but not so forcefully as before. I didn't know what else to do, so I planted a light kiss on her forehead as if that would take away her pain and sadness.

We stayed in each other arms for what felt like an eternity. Eventually she quietened down and stopped crying altogether; but she made no move to get up.

If anything, she held me closer and tighter than before.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Conflictions**

_**Jade**_

_**(One hour before)**_

I don't remember getting to the hospital, but it was only until I heard my name being called did I look up and realise where I was.

"Miss West?" An older looking doctor said, not looking up from a chart he was holding in his callused hands.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice was weak.

"Your mother has had a stroke. It was lucky that a passer-by found her in your front yard otherwise she may have lost her life."

I couldn't find my voice, and it took me a few goes before I managed to talk. "A stroke? How did she have a stroke?"

"A combination of the drinking and the smoking has almost killed her."

"Can I see her?"

"Yes of course, she was conscious a few minutes ago she should still be now."

I wasn't sure why this was affecting me so much. Throughout my whole life it never seemed like mom cared about me much at all and I had always felt that the feeling was mutual. But seeing her hooked up to all kinds of needles and machines; well it just made my whole body hurt and my heart gave a painful jolt.

"Jadelyn? Is that you?" Mom was squinting at me, barely able to lift her head and she looked exhausted.

"Hi mom." I croaked and wrapped my arms tighter around myself as if it would somehow get rid of all the bad emotions I was feeling right now.

It was only right of course, that something horrible like this had happened. The universe just loved to play games with me.

I had only just started feeling better about myself, and becoming more comfortable around Tori; and then this happens and now I feel like I've come undone.

I was falling apart at the seams and no one was here to help stitch me back up.

I had never felt more alone in my entire life.

Calling Tori was on my mind, but I decided I had no energy to pick up my phone and I didn't think my voice would work anyway.

Besides, I didn't want to just run to her every time something bad happened in my life. She had enough to worry about and she had helped me enough as it is. I didn't want her to feel like I was using her.

"Baby, I can't believe you came." My mother continued weakly, she tried to lift her hand to touch my arm, but I was too far away.

I didn't like people touching me.

In fact I absolutely hated it.

_Except for when it was Tori. _

My heart leapt thinking about her and I had to shake my head.

This was no time for stupid feelings or thinking about _stupid Vega_.

Hesitantly, I took a hold of her hand, and she managed a feeble smile. I saw tears form at the corner of her eyes and she sniffed.

"I've been so awful these lately. It was the alcohol. But I'm done now, I swear." She paused to let out a hacking cough, "I'm so sorry baby. Can you forgive me? Will you come home?"

My voice had left me and my lip started quivering on its own. My eyes spiked as tears threatened to break free from the floodgates.

I didn't want to cry.

Not in front of mom.

To cry was a weakness and I never wanted my mom to see me as weak.

"Come home baby. I'm so sorry."

I managed a nod as the tears spiked at my eyes again.

_I will not cry, _I told myself, _I will not cry._

Mom fell asleep not long after. I made sure she was okay before I made up some lame excuse so I could go and find somewhere quiet and just cry.

Everything in my life was a mess. My relationship with my mom and dad was horrible. My little brother was gone and I couldn't work out how I felt about Tori.

_Tori._

Part of me wished she was here right now. Again I was so tempted to pull out my phone and call her… but I couldn't. I had asked for too much already.

The tears ran down my face endlessly, my mascara was smudged but I didn't care. I tried to cry quietly, but I just had too many emotions built up inside of me and I couldn't handle it.

And then I felt her hand on my shoulder.

Tori had knelt down in front of me; her brown eyes were filled with so much understanding. It finally occurred to me that Tori understood me better than anyone; even more than Beck when we were dating.

She didn't say anything; rather she kept her hand on my shoulder as the tears still poured down my face into a small puddle on the ground.

I leaned forward and buried my face into her neck as she embraced me in a tight hug. _Never let me go, _was all I could wish silently to myself. She was so warm, she smelled so good and the way she held me so gently made me melt into her further.

And I just cried.

I cried my stupid heart out.

Tori stayed with me the whole time. I felt her soft lips on my forehead as she planted a gentle kiss there.

"I'm here for you," was all she said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - Longing**

_**Tori**_

Beck was just inches from me, his face leaning in closer and closer to mine.

_I can do this, _I thought to myself bitterly and squeezed my eyes shut. _If I just pretend he's someone else, Johnny Depp? No. _He was so close, I could smell the aftershave he used._ Brad Pitt? No. Jade._

…_Jade?_

Jade.

I pulled away. The guilt that was washing over me was too much, and I felt like I was going to vomit.

Maybe once upon a time I could have, but it just felt so wrong. I could only think of Jade and how kissing her ex-boyfriend (even if it was for the leading role in a play) was wrong.

"Hey are you okay, Tori?" Beck said, concerned.

"I'm really sorry." I said backing up a few feet.

"It's okay, honest. We've just been at this since the beginning of class and you just seem really out of it today."

"There is just a lot going on right now, I feel… a little overwhelmed."

He gave me a reassuring smile, "Well there's always tomorrow, huh?"

Yeah, right. Tomorrow.

_Jade._

As soon as the bell rang, I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

When I finally made it to the hospital I saw Jade sitting at her mother's bedside with her head in her hands. I hesitated by the door, unsure of whether she was sleeping or if she wanted to be alone. However, she looked up and saw me and all of the lethargy and exhaustion was so visible showing in her face as well as her body.

"Hey, Vega." She said, I could hear the strain in her voice that was from the tiredness. The bags under her eyes made her look gruesome and she seemed seriously overworked.

"Hey… you." I replied, giving her a warm smile and walking into the room, holding out a takeaway coffee mug. "I brought coffee!"

She took it from me and sipped it gratefully. I took a seat next to her and looked at her mother who was asleep, but seemed to be doing a lot better than what she was before.

I wondered what Jade's relationship with her mother was really like. I knew that it wasn't anything too positive, considering they seemed to fight a lot and something told me that this wasn't the first time she had been kicked out of her house.

"This is really terrible coffee." Jade remarked after a brief moment of awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, it's from the cafeteria downstairs… and you know… hospitals."

We remained silent for a while, Jade just sipped on her coffee staring at me with those piercing green eyes, and I sat awkwardly in the uncomfortable chair looking at my hands as if they held the answer to world peace.

I stole a quick glance at Jade, my stomach doing somersaults like usual whenever I thought of and saw her, and my heart fluttered around like I'd had too much caffeine.

She really did look horrible though. My guess was that she hadn't slept in about a week and her hair was a mess, she looked unbelievably tired and I wondered when was the last time she had cleaned her teeth or taken a shower.

But there was something else.

It was like this was a side of Jade that she rarely showed, even to herself. She seemed so vulnerable and delicate. Like at any second she could break into a million pieces.

It was as if she was on the operating table and I was the surgeon, peering into her insides; all of the emotions she kept hidden behind a façade of bullying and anger.

I grimaced at the thought, which was probably not the best analogy to use in a hospital.

Jade saw my frown and she adjusted her position in her chair. "The coffee isn't really that bad you know."

"It's not that," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's just…" _I think I like you, _I finished in my head.

Jade put her coffee down on one of the tables in the room, "Do you want to go somewhere? Just anywhere? I'm sick of being here all the time." I felt like she wanted to say something more, but she didn't continue.

The question had taken me so off guard that I froze. I couldn't find the right words, and I didn't want to sound too eager.

Of course I wanted to go somewhere with her, I would go _anywhere_ and do _anything_ for her.

She took my hesitation to mean something else, and picked up her coffee again. "I didn't mean to… it's just… hospitals, you know?" She laughed nervously.

"I…" why was it so hard to talk? It was like my mouth had become cotton and my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. "Yeah, hospitals." I paused again, choosing my words carefully, "Jade, I'd love to go somewhere… anywhere with you." _To the ends of the earth, to the moon… even to Canada… I'd go anywhere for you._

She smiled.

She really genuinely smiled.

The simple motion made all of the previous exhaustion and fatigue wash away and for a moment she was Jade.

The real Jade.

The Jade she kept hidden in the back of her mind, too afraid to let her loose in case people would hurt her. The Jade that no one saw, not even herself. She had kept this part hidden for so long, I realised she probably forgotten that it was there.

My breath got stuck in my throat and I found that I couldn't breathe properly.

The real Jade was beautiful. Stunning even. Words couldn't express what I was feeling or what I was seeing.

She was everything.

She was everything to _me._

"Come on," she said and grabbed my wrist, hauling me from my chair and out of the room.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hello you lovely people, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read this story and an even bigger thank you to those who leave reviews. I'm so glad all of you have stuck with me this far and I'm really grateful that you have. I'm going to do my best to make the story last as long as it can but I'm not sure how I can do that. I'll write what I have in my head and if you all want a part two by the time it's done well I'll see what I can do. Also, I'll try to update as much as I can, but Uni assignments are crushing me so I'm sorry if it's a few days before I post another chapter._

_Nevertheless, please enjoy this chapter, I know you will :)_

**Chapter 10 - Finally**

_**Jade**_

"This icecream is actually pretty good," I said walking down the beach with Tori.

We had stopped by her house briefly so that I could take a long hot shower, clean my teeth and change into different clothes. I had spent most of my waking hours at the hospital with mom. I knew that even though she had put the majority of my life through hell, she didn't deserve to be alone.

No one deserved to be alone.

"See, I told you!" Tori replied, grinning.

I couldn't help but smile too. Something about being with Tori made me happy. Genuinely happy. My stomach was in knots and my hands were a little shaky from how I felt about Tori, causing the adrenalin to pulse through my body making me shake even more.

We were at the beach, although it was night time and there wasn't many people around Tori had managed to get us ice cream from a shop that was just about to close. Right now we were walking on a path that was adjacent to the beach, I never really liked sand.

"So how is the play going?" I asked after a brief silence.

Tori grimaced and hesitated, "Not so good."

I wanted to press her further, because I knew that by being the lead role with Beck meant that they would have to kiss. To be honest, I didn't really care if Beck kissed her; I was long over him and barely regarded him as a friend anymore.

I did care, however that she was going to kiss him. I guess I was jealous in a way.

Though as much as I wanted to, I didn't ask her about it anymore. If she wanted to tell me more then she would. Something was obviously happening within the rehearsals, but I had no idea what. I didn't even know what my role in the play would be; I was hardly in class anyway.

_Stupid Vega._

Shaking my head, I licked my icecream glumly. Tori saw my mood change and stopped in the middle of the path. Whenever she was with me she always tried to keep my mind out of the dumps, I really liked that about her because it worked. When I was with Tori, everything seemed like it would be okay.

"Come on." She said and grabbed my wrist, pulling me onto the sand.

"Do we have to?" I groaned.

"Yes! Come on, take your shoes off."

I gave her a look like she was crazy, but managed to take my shoes off without dropping my icecream cone. The sand was soft and still a little warm from the sun, I hated to admit it but it actually felt pretty good.

"See?" She said giggling, "It's nice right?"

I shrugged, "I don't hate it." Which was saying a lot.

We left our shoes where we had taken them off and walked down the beach just inches away from the rolling tides. The ocean made lapping noises at the beach which was strangely calming. Though it actually did nothing to still the turmoil inside my body with all the feelings I had for Tori.

The darkness was overbearing but my eyes soon adjusted and I realised how beautiful everything looked bathed in the moonlight.

I realised how beautiful Tori was.

The moonlight caught her curves and her complexion just right and it made her stand out even more than usual. I drank in the sight as if she would disappear at any second.

_Stupid Vega._

"You know," said Tori giving me a sideways glance. "Your iceream is going to melt if you don't start eating it."

"Well maybe I want it to melt."

"Oh really? I paid five bucks for that! The least you could do is _pretend_ that you like it."

I rolled my eyes and started furiously licking the icecream, making a mess of it on my face. "Like this?"

Tori laughed and after handing me a tissue she whacked my arm playfully, but I wasn't holding onto the cone properly and it fell to the sand. We stopped walking and I stared at it, and then looked at Tori. She had a sorry look all over her face; she probably thought I was going to abuse her or something.

"You spent five bucks on that!" I said loudly and knocked her hand, making her drop her icecream.

"Hey!" She hit me back lightly.

"Oh that is it."

I took a step closer to her and tickled her, digging my fingers into her ribs playfully. She squirmed and giggled but she couldn't shake me. I was stronger and we both knew that.

"Jade!" She said through gasps, "Stop!"

I lost my footing as one of her legs knocked mine and we both fell tumbling to the ground. We were covered in sand now but I didn't care. I straddled Tori, pinning down her arms and gasping with a huge grin on my face.

My hair was cascading down my face and spilling around hers like a shroud protecting us from the outside world.

In this moment, it was just me and her. I had never felt more alive. I had never felt this much for anyone ever, not even Beck.

She stared up at me with her full brown eyes and a coy smile on her face.

I don't know what happened next, but suddenly my lips were on hers and it felt so right. The kiss was messy, because neither of us was expecting it, but I couldn't stop. I let go of her arms and put my hands either side of her face as if to hold her there in the moment longer. The kiss deepened and it was like I was telling Tori exactly how I felt about her with my lips and tongue.

But then I realised what I was doing.

_Oh my god._

I broke the kiss, the taste of her lip balm still lingering on my tongue and stood up as quickly as I could.

"I- I'm…" I stuttered, shaking all over from the adrenalin. "I'm so sorry."

Tori just lay there, stunned.

_I've ruined everything._

I didn't know what else to do, I slowly backed away and then ran back to my car.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – A Victorious Victory**

_**Tori**_

As I lay on the sand, too stunned to move; my mind slowly processed what had just happened.

_Jade just kissed me._

Oh my God.

_Jade_ kissed _me_.

I tried to get to my feet clumsily but the excitement in my body made me slightly numb so I only ended up falling over. When I finally got to my feet, my eyes scanned for where Jade had ran to. She was almost at her car, and I had no doubt in my mind she would get in and drive off without me if I didn't hurry.

I have never run so fast in my life.

Catching her arm just as she was about to swing into her car, I gasped trying to get a word out.

"Let me go." She said quietly.

"Jade… don't…" I panted. _I should really work out more._

"Don't what, Tori?" She spun to face me angrily, making my hand fall from her arm.

"Don't go, please."

"Why shouldn't I? I've ruined everything just like I always do. You know you were the only one here for me this whole time, and then I go and mess it up like that. What is wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you Jade, just listen to me please."

"No. I'm done." She crossed her arms defensively. "You don't need to try and make this better because you can't Tori. You can't fix me. _Nobody_ can."

I could see her pain, The Real Jade had faded back behind the mental walls of her mind, and I had a feeling I wouldn't see her again for a long, long time if I didn't do something. Fast.

"_Jade_!" I didn't know what to say, I had no words.

My mouth was moving but no sound came out. So many things were racing through my mind, the words got stuck in my throat and I was finding it hard to breathe.

I didn't know what else to do. I was losing Jade quickly.

Without warning, I took a step closer, wrapped my arms around her neck and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss almost hungrily and dropped her arms, locking her hands around my waist; pulling me in closer.

Eventually I had to break the kiss; I needed air. "Jade…" I whispered.

Our faces were just centimetres apart; the kiss was still lingering on my lips and tongue. Jade bit her lip and stared into my eyes with those piercing green eyes, The Real Jade flickered behind her tough girl mask. She looked almost _sexy._

"I'm not mad at you," I said quietly, "I really, _really _like you."

She slid her hands up my back and under my arms, shifting closer to me so that we were hugging. Her cheek rested on my shoulder and I breathed in the smell of her hair which was so intoxicating. "I really, _really _like you too, Vega."

When we finally broke apart, Jade winced. "I shouldn't have run off like that."

"I'm glad that I didn't let you leave."

She giggled, "You just wanted a lift home."

I shrugged, walking around the car to the passenger's side, but keeping eye contact with Jade the whole time. I was afraid that if I looked away then this moment would I disappear and I would wake up in my bed, the whole thing just being a dream. I didn't want Jade to leave me. Not now. Not when I finally had her. "You weren't supposed to figure that out."

She pretended to be hurt, putting her hand over her heart and shaking her head. "That cut me deep, Vega. Now get in before I change my mind and leave you here."

The ride home seemed way too fast. Jade held my hand the whole time, as if she was just as afraid of letting go as I was. But as soon as she pulled up at my driveway, the moment had to end.

We made eye contact and she squeezed my hand softly, as if to remind herself I was really here with her.

I couldn't help but smile at her, I felt so much more like myself being with her. "I had a lot of fun tonight. I'm glad we did this."

"I had a mighty good time tonight too!" Jade said, imitating my voice in that annoying way she reserved just to mock me.

"Jade! I don't talk like that!"

She just laughed at me, our hands were still together. Neither of us wanted to let go.

"I should get back to the hospital."

"I should be in bed. What time is it anyway? Like one in the morning?"

"Live a little, Vega. Miss Perfect doesn't need to be perfect all the time."

"That's _Little _Miss Perfect to you."

Jade reached over and kissed me on the lips again. It felt so right. I wanted it to last forever, but she reluctantly pulled away and let go of my hand.

"You'd better get going. You know, before I get sick of you."

I opened the car door and half got out, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You know where to find me."

The next day passed into somewhat of a blur and it was only until Beck snapped his fingers in my face, did I realise I was back in Sikowitz's class supposed to be rehearsing.

"You there, Tori?" He said.

"Sorry, yeah. What were we up to?"

"We are lost in a lonely place," he said, slipping into a terrible British accent. "You're all I have left."

"You're all I need," I replied, reading my lines directly from the script so I didn't have to look at him.

I knew what part was coming up next, and I hated not being able to do it properly. My stomach was in knots again. All I wanted to was to see Jade; I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to make her smile.

I wanted to help make The Real Jade shine.

"I don't know why," Beck moved in closer, "but I think I love you…"

"I think I love you too."

He was leaning in now, his eyes were half closed. I could smell his aftershave and probably count each individual eyebrow hair. I closed my eyes tightly, wishing I could pretend he was someone else, that I could pretend that kissing him would be like kissing Jade.

But I couldn't. Because kissing him felt so wrong. He wasn't Jade. I couldn't pretend he was no matter how hard I tried.

I pulled away again and shook my head.

"Beck I just can't."

"Tori, are you alright?" Beck seemed like he was the one that should be saying sorry and not me. "You've been a little off it all this week."

"I'm sorry." It was all I could say.

"Wait," He took a steep back, "You're not… you're not …._seeing_ someone, are you?"

I froze. What do I say? What _could _I say? Oh yeah, Beck. I'm dating your ex-girlfriend now, is that cool with you?

But were we dating? I thought back to last night, which stirred the butterflies in my stomach into a tornado of feelings I couldn't calm. Jade had kissed me, and then I had kissed her. We both had feelings for each other, and I guess last night counted as a date…

Beck saw my hesitation and put a reassuring hand on my arm. "Hey, it's okay. I understand. I'd feel pretty conflicted kissing someone while I'm dating someone else."

I had a feeling he meant more by that, but I didn't really care too much to think into it more. The last thing I needed was worrying if Beck had feelings for me.

"So who is it?"

I looked up at him, guilt spread all over my face. _Oh Beck_, I thought to myself,_ if you could read my mind right now you would probably slap me._

"Anyone I know?"

"Well we're not really _dating, _dating. Uh, well we are. We're just not…"

Beck tapped his nose with a wink, "Incognito, got it."

I should have known Beck would understand. He was a pretty cool guy when it came to things like this.

_But just how cool are you going to be, Mr. Cool, when you find out I'm dating your ex-girlfriend?_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hello lovely people! How are we? Sorry it's taken me so long to update, assignments galore sadly. I will do my best to update again tomorrow because I love you all!_

_Have any questions? Want to give me feedback? Feel free to hit the review button and tell me what you think! Or you can add me on tumblr and chat to me there; I go by the same username :)_

_Anyway, enjoy! I promise to update asap._

**Chapter 12 – Routines**

_**Jade**_

I couldn't help but smile all the way back to the hospital; in fact I was beaming so bright I think I was scaring some of the nurses. They had gotten used to Jade the mean girl, seeing me genuinely smile was indeed a rare thing.

Mom was awake, and she was propped up on a pillow. She actually was looking a lot better, and she smiled at me as I walked in.

"You're back." She said, relaxing into her pillow.

"Yeah." I crossed my arms and sat down on the chair beside the bed. "Why are you still awake?"

"Why are you?" she smiled, and then coughed slightly. "When I woke up you weren't here. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I shrugged, I guess I should be grateful for her concern but frankly I wasn't. She hadn't shown me the slightest bit of worry since for as long as I could remember. The pessimistic side of me knew that this sudden burst of kindness wouldn't last long. "I was out."

"You never talk to me anymore. Tell me what's going on? How is school?"

"Fine."

"And that boy you're seeing. What was his name? Bob? …Ben? How is he?"

I looked to the floor, crossing my arms tighter. "We broke up."

She gave me a sympathetic look that was so close to genuine, I almost believed that she had changed for a second. "You two were so good together. When did that happen?"

"A while ago."

We were silent for a while, and the awkwardness in the room was almost too much for me to handle. I actually considered very seriously just leaving now and driving to Tori's. I liked the way she made me feel.

Like everything was going to be okay. Even just for a little while.

"The doctors said I can go home tomorrow." Mom said with another cough.

"Good."

"Baby, I want you to come home. I promise things will be better. But it won't feel like home unless you're there. I haven't been the best mother lately." _Or at all, _I added to myself bitterly. "Can you forgive me? Ever since your father left things have been… a little…"

"I don't know, mom. You kicked me out, remember?"

"It was the alcohol. But things will be different this time. I promise. I want to be here for you."

I just shrugged again, what could I say? Of course I wanted to come home… but that also meant that I wouldn't get to see Tori as much. My heart ached to see her again.

"Your father called here today." She said quietly.

"I don't care."

"You need to hear this. His new wife just had a baby."

And there was my good mood gone. Any small amount of happiness I had, every last drop of hope that I had felt from being with Tori… drained away. Isn't it funny how only a few words can shatter your whole world?

"But that doesn't mean he still doesn't love you." She grimaced.

"How did he even know you were here?"

"I still had him listed as an emergency contact. I've been meaning to change it but…"

She trailed off, but I knew what she meant anyway. _You still thought there was even a small amount of chance for the both of you. _

Mom fell asleep not long after. I was tired but every time I closed my eyes I picture dad with his new family. Did I really mean so little to him that he had to go and make another family so that he could feel like a real father? Wasn't I good enough?

I already knew the answer to that. Neither me nor mom was ever good enough for him.

My whole world was falling apart. My family was broken, I guess it always was. Why did it have to take so much for me to be able to see that?

I was grateful for all night fast food restaurants because I don't think I could have made it through the night. I sat alone at a table for several hours, eating greasy fries and drinking terrible black coffee. I was staring at my phone. I knew I had to call him, but I really didn't want to. I knew what he'd say.

_Jade, you're not good enough. You never were. I'm happy with my new family now, I don't need you. I never needed you._

My eyes pricked and I wish Tori were here. She would make me feel better.

* * *

The next morning couldn't come quick enough. After driving mom home once she was cleared (and taking a shower), I made my way to school.

I was late of course, but I didn't care. I think I was all out of feelings. Too much was going on in my life and I didn't have enough spare emotions to worry about my schooling as well.

Sikowitz barely glanced at me as I walked in, his bald head seemed even balder when he was sitting. He was of course, sipping from a coconut and sitting cross legged on the floor.

"We're just two lost people." Beck said, in a fake British accent.

The play must have been close to being finished, because Tori and Beck were both dressed up. The stage and all of its props were out; Sinjin was manning the lights and sound.

"Lost…and uh…lonely…" Tori said, stumbling on her words like she had never rehearsed it before. She was also holding her script close to her face which seemed a little strange to me.

"I don't know why… but I think I love you."

"I think… I uh… love you too."

Beck leaned in… jealously rose within me. I wanted to rush to the stage and push Beck away. Tori was mine.

_Mine?_

_Were we dating?_ I crossed my arms tight around my chest, the way I usually did when I was feeling too much of any emotion. I guess in a way we _were_ dating. We both felt the same way about each other…

Beck was really close to her now; I could see the uncertainty on her face. No one had seen me enter, I was grateful for it, but I was seriously considering walking out.

I really didn't want to see Beck kiss her.

Part of me knew that Beck was probably better for her than I was. I was too broken and I didn't feel like I deserved her. Beck would treat her right. He had treated me right and that's what made us break up. Twice.

Beck's lips brushed Tori's, she had her eyes squeezed shut like she was in some terrible nightmare. In a way I guess she was.

And then it dawned on me when I realised that _she didn't actually want to kiss him. _

Suddenly there was a loud crash, and Sinjin was shouting something. Sikowitz jumped out of his seat in fright, dropping his coconut in the process.

"Sinjin what are you doing?!" He shouted up to Sinjin who was frozen in place.

"I didn't mean to." He replied.

A huge light had fallen off the ceiling and crashed into the right hand side of the room, luckily the seats were vacant except for the ones Sikowitz and I sat in.

"Now look what you've done!" he picked up his coconut angrily and gave Sinjin a death stare.

"I'm sorry okay!"

Sikowitz sat back down again, and I returned my attention to the stage, a little eager to see how the scene would play out.

However, Tori was nowhere to be found on stage.

Beck was scratching the back of his head in that way he used to do whenever something was bothering him.

"Where is Tori?" Sikowitz said.

Beck shrugged. "I don't know."

_But _I_ did._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – Findings**

_**Tori**_

Jade somehow managed to find me in the janitor's closet not long after I'd ran out of Sikowitz's class. I kicked a mop angrily; the loud clatter it made against the floor masked the noise the door made as it opened up.

"Feel better?" Jade said as she shut the door and leaned against it.

"Jade?" I spun around and crossed my arms, "What're you doing here? How did you know where I was?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, "I just knew."

I looked to the floor, not able to meet her eyes. She must have seen me rehearsing the play with Beck. I wondered what she was thinking. I could feel her piercing green eyes on me, but I still couldn't look at her. Although I felt a little guilty, my heart was still soaring the way it did whenever I saw her.

"Do you want to get out of here, Tori?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

I slowly looked up to meet her eyes. "I can't, I have a few classes still to go to…" I paused, "Wait, you called me Tori."

"Well if you _prefer _Vega…"

"No! Tori is just fine."

She smiled; it softened her face in a way that highlighted her features.

_Jade really was beautiful. _

"Come on," she said, turning around and opening the door slightly. "Little Miss Perfect can stand to skip a few classes."

I knew I probably shouldn't go, Jade could be a pretty bad influence and I knew this. Though, something told me she needed to be alone, that she needed to talk. Something told me that she wanted to be _alone_ with _me_.

We drove around for a while, in no direction in particular. I suspected Jade didn't even know where we were going either.

She held my hand the whole way too, squeezing it every so often as if to remind me she was still here as much as it reminded her I was too.

Jade pulled over at a park which was completely abandoned. Kids were obviously at school and mothers were probably out doing things they didn't get to do when they had their children. Like waxing their eyebrows or having long hot showers.

It was nice here, the sun was shining brightly in the middle of the sky but it was a beautiful day. I was glad that I decided to go with Jade.

We sat down on a park bench, Jade rested her head on my shoulder and sighed contentedly, she still gripped my hand tightly.

Birds were chirping in the distance and the wind chimed softly, tousling my hair slightly. Aside from the trees swaying in the wind, there was silence.

It was nice.

In fact, sitting here with Jade made me feel the happiest I have felt in a long time. She made me feel like everything might be okay.

"My stepmom had a kid this morning." Jade said quietly.

My eyes widened in shock a little. Although she didn't say it, I knew Jade was hurting even more than before. It seemed like things in her life just kept getting worse. First she and Beck break up (which I guiltily was kind of grateful for), then her mom is in hospital and now her dad is starting a new family.

I had only met her father once, but that was enough to know that they didn't have a great relationship. It seemed like he barely tolerated her, it made me cringe in horror to think that she had to deal with a father like that growing up.

_Jade… how have you gotten by all these years?_

I didn't know what to say. What could I say? Jade was so much stronger than I was. If I were in her shoes I probably wouldn't have survived so long on my own. It suddenly made so much sense to me why Jade was so concrete. She used her mean girl façade like a barrier, to hide what she feeling inside. She was hurting.

_I'm going to fix you, Jade. Piece by piece I will make you whole again._

"How can I help you?" I said softly, afraid that if I talked any louder Jade would just magically disappear.

She looked up at me, and I looked down at her, she leaned up slightly and kissed me gently on the lips. My stomach did a few backflips and my heart threatened to jump out of my chest.

"You already are." She said when she broke the kiss and rested her head on my shoulder again.

We stayed at the park until it was long since dark, talking and laughing. Bit by bit jade opened up to me, I suspected it was the first time she had shared so much with anyone. I wondered how much she had shared with Beck.

A small wave of guilt cut through my good mood as I thought of Beck. I was going to have to kiss him eventually, and the longer I put it off the worse I knew it would be. I was due to present the play in three days on Monday, and I really was not looking forward to it. Normally I don't have any issues with remembering my lines for a play, or anything in fact, but lately I couldn't bring myself to even glance at the script let alone memorise it.

"We should probably get home," I said, pushing Jade on the swing.

"You mean, I should take you home." She replied, swinging her legs.

"Are you going back to the hospital again?"

She dug her heels into the ground, making the swing stop moving and she turned to look at me. "I took mom home this morning."

"Oh." Was all I could manage to say. "So that means…"

"She wants me to come back, I really should move home again."

Of all the emotions I felt for Jade, hearing her say that and feeling so much disappointment shocked me so much I had to put my hand on the swing set pole to steady myself.

I couldn't help but wonder if Jade going back home would change things at all. I didn't want to think about it but it was nagging in the back of my mind and I suddenly felt sick again.

"Hey," Jade said, walking to me and putting her arms around me. "This doesn't change how I feel about you."

Despite myself, I smiled. "I just don't want to lose you." I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in close.

This felt so right, I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather be right now then here with Jade.

It suddenly occurred to me that I had always kind of felt this way about Jade all this time. I wondered if the same went for Jade too.

"I'm not going anywhere."

We stood together for a long time; neither one of us wanting to break the moment. Eventually though, we both let go.

"You really should get home," Jade said, taking me by the hand as we walked to her car. "You know, before I get sick of you."

I smiled, "Thanks. That _really_ means a lot, Jade."

She grinned at me in a way that made my legs want to melt. I couldn't believe that we were actually together after all this time.

"Can I come to yours for this weekend?" she paused, "I just don't want to be with my mother any more than I have to be. I know it sounds bad but the time in the hospital is probably the most time we've ever spent together for as long as I can remember." She hesitated, taking in a sharp breath. "She just doesn't get me like you do."

We were at her car now, and she opened the door for me. "I'm not sure, Beck and I have to rehearse for the play because it's due on Monday and we really haven't done much on it. I haven't even learned all of my lines yet."

Jade shrugged, "I can help you rehearse if you like."

We were standing very close, "You'd do that for me?" I asked, not too sure why I sounded so uncertain.

"Tori…" she drew me in close, her mouth just centimetres from mine. "I'd do anything for you."

When we kissed it was like we were kissing for the first time again. She kissed me so deeply and so passionately I could only respond almost hungrily.

I never wanted to be anywhere else right now; I wanted this whole moment to just last forever.


	14. Chapter 14

_Hello everyone, I'm so so sorry it's taking me ages to update! So many essays and exams I think my head is going to burst. Also, I'm super sorry again because I won't be able to update again until at least Monday because my mother is getting married this weekend and I'll be without internet for that whole time. I don't know how I'm going to live. _

_Also on a quick note, to any of you who read this and have been affected by the hurricane just know my thoughts and best wishes go out to you. I really hope you all stay safe and know that I'm thinking about you._

_Anyway, I love you all. Keep on being awesome :)_

**Chapter 14 - Insides**

_**Jade**_

I could smell his aftershave before I saw him, that same businesslike manner seemed to radiate from him like body heat.

"Dad." I said, crossing my arms as I entered the room.

Whatever good mood I was in before faded behind the mental walls of my mind as I threw up my defences.

I would have died before I showed my father any kind of emotion.

Jade." He said, standing up from the chair he was sitting in.

Mom was asleep, but there was no doubt in my mind that he had been here for a while and had probably spoken to her. It figured he was still in his suit; he never took the stupid thing off.

It was all business with him, I always imagined that he should get the words "_what can _you_ do for _me_?" _ tattooed on his forehead because he didn't care about anyone unless they were useful to him somehow. And clearly, Mom and I had long expired our use.

"What are you doing here." I didn't ask it like a question, because I hated the thought of asking my father for _anything._

"Your mother still had me listed as an emergency contact. So when the hospital called me, I came here as soon as I could."

"You mean, as soon as you had said your precious goodbyes to your better family? Do they even know about me?"

"I may not be around as much as I should be, but I am still your father. You would do well to show me a little more respect."

"Respect?!" I didn't care that I was almost shouting now, "You've done _nothing _to deserve _respect. _Who the hell do you think you are? You think that you can just come here and that everything will be as it was and I will be a normal teenager waiting on her little daddy hand and foot? No. You don't even deserve anything. Just leave."

My father opened his mouth to retort, but a nurse had heard me shouting and came to investigate. "This is a _hospital _and not a court room. Both of you leave now, please."

Dad straightened his tie and the cuffs on his jacket before giving me one of his looks. A look that told me that he wasn't done with me yet, that there would be consequences.

I didn't care.

"I was just leaving." He said walking briskly past me and out of the room.

The nurse eyed me until mom coughed weakly from the bed. "No, let her stay. Please."

She gave me another look before nodding and then left the room.

"Mom?" I said, walking over to her. She looked a lot better now than what she had when I first saw her in here. Though she looked incredibly tired and worn out, she was still my mom and I wanted to see her get better.

I wanted to be here for her like she was never here for me.

"Baby, I'm glad you're here." she croaked. "Where were you?"

I drew up a chair and sat beside her, I could still smell my father's aftershave, but I tried my best to hide my disgust; for my mothers' sake.

"Out." I didn't feel like talking. Especially not to her. I knew she wasn't really interested. My mother doesn't do interested in anything, particularly if it involved me.

"You seem different today. Are you still with that guy… Ben?"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "His name was Beck. And no. We broke up."

"You never talk to me anymore. When did it happen?"

"A while ago."

She coughed again, "How is school? Are you doing well?"

"Fine."

"Baby," her voice softened and she attempted to get up a little. I protested and didn't sit down again until she was lying on her back once more. "Have you thought about moving back in with me? I want you back home. I miss you. And I promise I'm done with the smoking and the drinking. As soon as I am out of here I'll be a new person, you'll see."

"I don't know."

When mom finally fell asleep, I figured it was time I did that too; but I had too much on my mind and it was already getting light outside.

I needed to talk a walk alone, and just think.

No. I needed Tori.

She would help me figure this out.

* * *

The day went by sluggishly, mostly because I hadn't had much sleep but also because I hadn't had any coffee for at least five hours.

I spent most of my time at my house, helping my mother adjust to being back at home. She decided it was time to clean the house, I told her it was a terrible idea since she had only just been released from hospital but she wouldn't listen.

Well, I guess her stubbornness was genetic because she was as mulish as me when she wanted something.

Several painful hours later, the chemicals in the cleaning products were making my head hurt so I decided to go see Tori.

We didn't do much, she told me her parents were out for the weekend and she didn't know where Trina was. I didn't have any clothes or a toothbrush so I figured I could drive home quickly and get them, then drive back here. Hopefully mom wouldn't press me too much about staying with her tonight.

I could handle her in hospital where she slept most of the time, but now that she was out she was annoyingly nosy in my life.

But as soon as I got home I instantly regretted it.

I stood at the doorway, stunned and unable to even blink. Mon and dad were both on the couch…

...Kissing.

They didn't hear the door shut, nor did they realise that I was standing there watching them. Mom's hands were wrapped in dad's hair as they practically devoured each other.

Of course an empty bottle of champagne was on the coffee table, their wine glasses just about empty.

It figures she wasn't even a day out of hospital before she hit the alcohol again. I could handle her drinking, but both of them together like this… it was too much.

I felt my eyes prickle, I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run.

I wanted Tori to be here. She would know what to do.

But I just stood there. Frozen. What _could_ I do?

Eventually the both of them bust have needed fresh air because they broke apart slightly. Their faces so close together they may as well have been kissing again. Mom giggled girlishly, she usually did that when she was borderline drunk.

"We really shouldn't be doing this…" Mom whispered with another giggle.

"No." I said, surprising myself in a quiet yet deadly tone. "You shouldn't."

They both broke apart as if it would help hide what they were just doing. Yeah, right.

"Jadelyn," Mom said with a hiccup, "I didn't hear you come home."

"Jade." My father said, standing up and straightening his tie. Of course he was still wearing a suit. Did he ever take that stupid thing off? "This isn't what it looks like."

"Oh?" I said, taking a step closer to the living room and crossing my arms tightly. "What is it then?"

Dad looked uncomfortable. _Good_. "I was just leaving."

I shook my head and blocked his path, which surprised him as much as I surprised myself with this new found confidence. "No."

"I am your father. You do not get to speak to me like that. Now move."

"No."

"Jade…" Mom pleaded from the couch and attempted to stand up, but she must have had that much to drink because she only succeeded in falling over.

Dad kneeled down intending to help her up, but I beat him to it, shoving him out of the way with a glare made of ice.

When mom was in bed, I went back down and just caught dad as he was about to get into his car.

"Jadelyn, let me explain."

"I don't want to hear it, _dad._" I said it like it was a dirty curse word, and his usual calm demeanour faded for one second. "Who do you think you are?"

"I am your _father. _I don't have to listen to this." He opened up the car door and tried to get in, but I shut it almost as quickly as he opened it with strength I didn't know I had.

"You come here unannounced, just when we were finally getting along just fine without you… then you get mom back on the alcohol and kiss her?! One family was never enough so you had to make another, and even then you screwed that up!"

I was shouting now, but I didn't care. I wanted to cry, but I vowed that I would never give my father the satisfaction of knowing how much he has hurt me.

He was silent, his eyes studying me coolly. "None of that was ever meant to happen."

"But it did."

"What do you want from me?"

I laughed, of all things I had to laugh. I actually don't know why I did, maybe I was just filled with too many emotions all I could do now was the opposite of what I was feeling. "A normal childhood maybe? A normal mom and dad? A normal family and not a dysfunctional one?"

I met my father's eyes angrily; I wanted him to see what he had done to me after all this time. Maybe if he was a better parent I could have been so much more. I let him see that in my eyes.

Most of all,_ I wanted him to suffer like I had._

"I want my brother back."

My father's eyes flashed dangerously and I knew then that I had crossed the line. No one had mentioned my brother since the accident.

"You and I both know that wasn't my fault."

His voice was low, dangerously low. I wasn't about to back down, and neither was he. I knew though, that I poked a weak spot and the idea of that scared him. He studied me intensely, as if looking for a gap in my armour that he too could poke; but he didn't even know me anymore. I'm not the little girl I once was.

"How could you do this to me?" I said, "After everything. How?"

For once he had nothing to say, we just stared at each other.

"Just leave."

When he was in his car, he wound the window down before driving off, "This isn't over."

And for once, I agreed with him.


	15. Chapter 15

_Hello lovely people! How are we all? I'm doing fantastic! Sadly, this is the second last chapter, I'm going to end the story with the next one. What do you think? Please leave a review or even just simply favourite the story. Anyway, I love you all and I hope you had a great weekend :) enjoy!_

**Chapter 15 - Consequences**

_**Tori**_

The weekend passed by too quickly. Jade and I had barely spent any time apart; we were always together always talking and always holding each other. I felt like the time I spent with Jade was never truly enough and I dreaded the fact that she would have to go home as soon as the weekend was over. While I was glad her mom was okay, I guiltily wished she could have stayed at my house forever.

"This play is stupid." Jade said, throwing the script to the ground and putting her legs up onto the coffee table.

"Sikowitz wrote it," I replied, "you know how cheesy his plays are."

She rolled her eyes, "We've been rehearsing for ages, can we _please _do something else before Trina and your parents get home?"

I put my script down too and sat next to her on the couch, "Okay, one movie. But afterwards we have to rehearse again… you know because it's due tomorrow."

"Oh?" She suddenly turned to the side and kissed me so deeply and passionately, I melted in the chair. With her lips pressed against mine, everything felt like it was going to be okay.

But eventually she pulled away with a grin. "You should know you don't need the excuse of a stupid play just to kiss me."

I also smiled, "Yeah but then that takes away all the fun!"

"So it's fun to torture me then is it?"

"Of course it is!"

Jade straddled me on the couch and then tickled me so hard I felt like I was going to suffocate from laughing so hard or my lungs would burst. Either way this wouldn't end well for me.

The remainder of the night was spent watching different movies, neither of us actually watching them though. We just talked and held each other, neither one of us wanted this night to end.

But all good things always come to an end.

Mom and dad came home early, and Jade sat up so fast on the couch I was amazed she could move that quickly.

"Hi, mom." I said awkwardly, standing up and flushing a deep shade of red that we were almost caught.

I wanted to tell my parents about Jade, but the moment didn't feel right... Besides it didn't really matter, did it?

"How was your trip?" I continued, masking my thoughts behind a wide smile.

My dad just rolled his eyes and carried his luggage to the stairs, "Trina."

He didn't need to say any more, they were planning on spending the weekend together, but Trina must have found some way to ruin it.

"What did she do this time?"

Mom put her keys on the bench and shook her head, "When she found out the resort we were going to had free mud baths she hid in the back of the car and didn't tell us she was there until we were there."

"I should probably go." Jade said, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

I followed her out of the house, shutting the front door behind me. "I don't want you to go…"

Her face softened and she took my hands in hers, "Hey I won't be gone for long. Besides I have to watch you perform tomorrow, we can do something afterwards?"

"It just feels like such a long time."

Jade leaned in to kiss me goodbye, but quickly pulled away when Trina strutted around the corner, carrying a large painting with both arms but clearly struggling to lift it.

"Trina!" I said and put my hands on my hips to make it seem like we weren't just doing something, "Why do you have that?"

She put it down briefly to eye me coldly. "I found it at the resort and I like it so it's mine."

"You can't just steal paintings!"

"It was in _my _room I can take whatever I want." She gave Jade a quick once over before flipping her hair behind her shoulder, "You're here again, don't you have anything better to do?"

Jade just shook her head with a malicious smile, "Those pants make you look fat." Then she turned on her heel and walked back to her car, looking back at me only once before she drove away.

"Why is your freaky friend here _all the time? _I thought she hated you."

I just shrugged, "I like her."

Which was the exact truth, but Trina didn't realise the real meaning.

"I don't."

* * *

Trina was struggling to get the painting upstairs, and after several failed attempts she sighed heavily.

"Are you going to help me or are you just going to sit there staring at your phone?"

I looked up from my phone and rolled my eyes, "If you need my help then ask nicely." I was waiting on a text or a call from Jade, but there was nothing.

"No. Come and help me."

I sighed and walked over to Trina. She took one end and I took the other, however it was too heavy and we couldn't get it past the first step.

"Pull!" Trina yelled from the bottom of the stairs, "You're not trying hard enough."

"I am pulling!" I shouted back, huffing under the strain of the weight.

"Pull harder, come on."

We tried again for several tedious minutes, before the doorbell rang and Trina dropped the painting heavily.

"Well?" Trina panted, "Go answer the door."

I opened the door, and expected to see anyone but Beck standing there.

"Hey," he said coolly, one arm resting on the doorframe casually.

"Hey… Beck." I said exasperatedly. I hated to admit it to myself, but he was the last person I wanted to see right now.

When I saw him, I thought of Jade and thinking of Jade made my heart soar and my pulse quicken. I was glad that I was sweating because it hid how red I was becoming.

"Am I interrupting something? He asked.

"No." I waved my arm pathetically to indicate what Trina was doing. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged, "You seemed so off lately I just wanted to check that you were okay. Are you okay?"

I nodded, still blushing. "Just a lot going on right now."

"Does it have anything to do with that certain someone you're seeing?"

I was about to reply, when there was a noisy clash and Trina swore loudly. "Tori!" she shouted, "who is at the door?"

"It's just Beck!" I shouted back over my shoulder.

"Beck!?"

There was another loud crash followed by a bang, and then there was the scuttling of frantic feet. Before I knew it, Trina had pushed me out of the way at the door and she put on her best flirtatious smile.

"Hi, Beck." She purred.

"Trina," I said, "can you leave us alone please?"

She ignored me with a flip of her hair and fluttered her eyelashes, "You're strong right? Come help me lift something."

Beck raised one eyebrow and looked to me, then back to Trina before shrugging again. "Sure why not."

I don't know how, but a few minutes later Beck had managed to get the painting into Trina's room by himself.

"Can we talk now?" He asked form the top of the stairs.

I nodded from the bottom of the stairs, "Sure, I guess. But I don't feel like shouting to you all night so come down here."

He smiled, a smile that would have any other girl quivering on the spot.

But not me.

If anything I felt slightly repulsed.

"Beck!" Trina shouted from behind him, but he couldn't turn around in time. "Why won't you let me love you!?"

Everything happened so fast, I wasn't sure how it happened, but it did.

Trina jumped onto Beck's back and locked her arms and legs around him. "Let me love you!" she shouted, holding on tight as he tried to shake her.

"What the chiz, Trina? Get off me!"

"Trina!" I shouted, trying to climb to steps to help out, "Get off him!"

But I was too late.

Beck lost his footing and they both went tumbling down the stairs, I only just managed to move out of the way. There came a sickening crunch and I shuddered at the sound.

Both of them lay on the ground, dazed and confused at what had just happened. It took me a few moments to regain myself.

"Oh my god are you okay?" I ran to Beck, whose face was bunched up in pain.

Trina sat up and raised her elbow, "Not really, I think I hurt my arm." There was in fact, a small graze but it was nothing compared to the injury that Beck had.

"Not you! Beck, can you hear me?"

His eyes struggled to focus as he attempted to get up, but only succeeded in tensing pathetically. "I… I think I broke… my leg."

Sure enough, his right leg was bent at an odd angle at the shin. He let out a gasp of pain as he tried to sit up again.

"Will you stop moving?" I said, running to the freezer to get ice. "Trina, call the ambulance!"

"I'm hurt too."

"For once Trina, can you think about someone other than yourself? Either call an ambulance or leave."

I was surprised at my own voice, and although it was shaky, it was my own sternness and the fact that I was finally sticking up for myself that shocked me the most.

Too bad I couldn't savour the moment any longer, because Beck let out another gasp of pain as I applied the ice.

She muttered something and I didn't care enough to listen to what it was; but she got up and made the call.

It felt like mere seconds later when Beck was being taken away to the hospital by the ambulance, with me my mom and dad following close behind.

I sat quietly in the back of the car, staring out my window at the night sky. As I watched to stars, I wondered what Jade was doing. I wished that she was here. My heart did a painful leap like it always did when I thought about her. I tried calling her, but there was no answer on her phone so I left several texts instead.

_Where are you, Jade? I need you._


	16. Chapter 16

_It's finally hereeee! Hello lovely people, sorry I have taken so long (again) but this last chapter had me stuck, I've never been so great at finishing stories. But I feel like I've told all I can with this one. I want to say a special thank you to all of the people who have supported, followed and reviewed my story from the start. You know who you are :)_

_ I would also like to thank the anons who kept reminding me to update when I got a little lazy. You also know who you are. Lastly, I'd like to thank you; dear reader whoever and wherever you are. Without you this would never have been possible. (I would also like to add that I do take requests for fanfics :) or if you'd like me to try and write a part 2 to this just let me know!)_

_I love you all!_

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Denial and Consequences**

_**Jade**_

When I got home, I waited outside the door, resting my head on it. Of course dad was here again and of course they were fighting.

It was like old times again. You know, before he moved away and before he started a new family because ours clearly wasn't good enough.

"You're not listening to me!" Dad shouted, the sound was muffled by the closed door, but I could still hear the seething anger in his voice. The voice he used to yell at me with cosntantly_. It was definitely like old times again._

"Well what do you want me to do!?" Mom retorted just as loudly, "You come here unannounced and get me back on the alcohol, then you kiss me and then you ask me to…" there was a loud clash as something broke. Mom usually threw things at people when she was really mad. This fight must be really bad for it to have reached this point.

"Look it's not definite, it's just a precaution."

"Why are you even here then?"

There was silence, something else smashed. I decided now was probably the best time to try and break things up, as much as I didn't want to. If I didn't' do something now, while their argument was in the eye of the storm, the aftershocks would be far more severe.

I opened the door loudly, as if to announce my presence in the open that they would stop arguing. But of course it didn't work.

"Oh, you're how now are you?" Dad said to me through gritted teeth.

I always found it rather odd that the only emotion he has ever shown me is either anger or contempt. I made it my mission to only show him the same courtesy.

"Clearly," I said, crossing my arms. I knew that this argument was going to get ugly.

"Do you even know where she was?" He asked mom.

She shook her head slightly in anger, "I don't care where she was, because unlike you I don't feel the need to control everyone. If Jadelyn wants to go somewhere she has every right to."

"And what would you do if she was meeting up with some… boy?"

Mom let out a sarcastic laugh, "If that's what she wants to do then she can do it."

"See this is my problem! You've let her run free all these years and now look at her."

I raised my eyebrows and snorted. "You ran free all these years too when you left us. And then started a new family."

Mom picked up a glass plate and threw it at dad aggressively. He moved away in time, bummer.

"Why are you even here?" I said.

He gave me a look, a look I knew all too well. He was looking down at me, like I was scum. The way he always did when I was a kid.

_All I wanted was to make you proud, dad, and you couldn't even be here for me._

"I don't need this." He pushed past me and headed for the door, but I wasn't ready to let this go.

"_You _don't need this?" I retorted, grabbing his arm and spinning him around with strength I didn't realise I had. "What about _us_?! You come here uninvited-"

"Jade, please." Mom begged from across the room. "Let it go."

"-You get mom drunk and then _kiss her, _not to mention you not only abandoned us but you started a whole new family. And then you have the nerve to tell _us _they _you _don't need this?!" My rage was building up and up, I was so furious that I was seeing red and I wasn't sure what I was doing.

I wasn't in control of my actions.

I felt my arm lift as if on its own accord, and before I knew it I'd slapped dad pretty hard on the cheek.

My legs took me through the open front door and to my car. I didn't even glance back, but my hand was stinging.

I started the engine, half expecting dad to chase after me and smack me back.

But to my relief; no one came out.

* * *

The theatre was packed when I arrived. I hadn't even considered coming tonight, but I know that I had to get away from my parents and this was the first place that came to mind when I decided to leave. Actually, Tori's was the first place I thought of going to, but I knew that she wouldn't be here since it was opening night for the play.

Robbie was up on stage, on his knees, playing the guitar and singing about broken glass. Cat was tap dancing alongside him.

I figured the play didn't have long left, and I was tempted to just leave anyway. I hadn't rehearsed my lines, whatever they were and I honestly didn't care about it at all.

I was a little amazed that Sikowitz was giving Robbie so much screen time, no one liked him singing his morbid songs about big toes and broken glass, but then I realised… he and Cat were stalling the crowd.

Something had obviously gone wrong and I couldn't help but feel a little curious.

I walked out the back of the stage; no one stopped me because everyone there was either too busy to notice me or a fellow classmate who probably thought I was getting ready for my part in the play.

"Have you seen Tori?" I asked someone walking by.

He shook his head, "No but Sikowitz is really out of it."

Before I could ask what he meant, I heard a great cackling of laughter, and made my way to the room out the back of the theatre. Sikowitz was lying on a chair waving his arms above his head and talking to his elbow intently.

Andre was beside him, trying to talk to him but was having to such luck. He looked up when he saw me and shook his head, "I can't believe this is happening."

"What _is _happening?" I replied, crossing my arms.

"Too many things have gone wrong. For starters, Beck broke his leg so he's at the hospital. Secondly, Tori still hasn't shown, I think she's still at the hospital with Beck. Lastly, Sikowitz drank a bad coconut and has been having visions all afternoon."

I snorted in amusement, and was about to say something when Tori rushed into the room.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" She said hurriedly, "Beck didn't want to be alone when they were putting the cast on; his parents were stuck in traffic. Then my mom and dad couldn't pick me up from the hospital because Trina had taken the car." She paused to catch her breath before glancing at Sikowitz, then looking at me as if it was the first day of Christmas. "Jade! I'm so glad you're here, I mean I didn't think you'd come but you're here now and I-" she cut herself off because she just realised that Andre was still in the room.

"Don't mind me. Look if you're here now can you please get ready?"

"Wait, Beck isn't here!" Her face suddenly became mortified as she the consequences just dawned on her. "That means… if Beck isn't here then who is going to star in the play with me?"

Andre shrugged, "Leave that up to me, you just go get ready."

She nodded and gave me a huge nervous grin before running out to the change rooms.

After Andre had left me alone with Sikowitz, who was now counting each individual hair in his beard, I thought about offering to take Beck's place in the play. As much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn't. I wasn't ready. It didn't feel right in any way. Besides, the play was written for a male and a female lead.

"You know what's weird," Sikowitz said, glancing up on me with eyes unfocused, "I never seem to be able to get the burgers no matter how hard I try. It's just not fair. If _he _didn't always stop me…"

Andre returned not long after, "Tori's not going to like it…" he said, wiping his brown in frustration, "but there is no one else. Maybe if _someone _didn't drink a bad coconut!" He glanced at Sikowitz who was giggling at his toes.

"So what happens now?"

"Well unless you want to watch Sikowitz again while I try to make preparations, nothing I guess."

I was out of the room even before Andre had finished talking. There was _no _way I was hanging around there any longer.

Again, I considered going home, but again I reminded myself that I really didn't want to face my parents. Watching one of Sikowitz's horrible play was better torture than being at home.

As soon as the curtains pulled up, and the set was put in place, the play finally started but I was barely paying attention. I was growing more anxious by the second and I wasn't sure why. I felt like something big was about to happen, but I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I just knew that I felt really uneasy and all I wanted to do was be with Tori. Being away from her for so long was killing me and my heart.

I barely paid attention to the play; I kept checking my phone as if Tori would call me or text me every second. And still my anxiety grew.

Finally, it was Tori's scene.

She was dressed like a stereotypical French girl, beret and scarf and all. My heart did a little dance and my anxiety grew even more.

And then Sinjin walked out awkwardly, dressed in a tight fitting tuxedo and wearing a top hat that sat at a strange angle on his bushy hair.

I saw Tori grimace for a second, and I felt sorry for her. I also thought it was pretty funny as well. Somehow I felt more at ease knowing that she was going to have to kiss Sinjin and not Beck. I still didn't like it. Tori was mine, she should be kissing _me_ and not _him_.

But again I had to remind myself that we were incognito.

"W-we're… w-w…" Sinjin stammered, his hands fiddling with the tuxedo cuffs and moving from one foot to the other.

It was quite pathetic really. Sinjin was no actor, he was better at the lights and sound; but he was the only one that knew Beck's lines. I guessed he was always around Beck and Tori whenever they practiced. A little creepy but that's Sinjin.

"Yes," Said Tori, in a French accent, "We're just two lost people... In a lost town…"

"I…I- I… th-th…" his eyes were darting around the room, a few people in the audience snickered. This was really painful to watch.

"Yes, darling?" Tori prompted, trying her best to recover this lost cause. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Sinjin was practically hopping on the spot now; he gulped loudly and before anyone knew what had happened he darted off stage; leaving Tori standing there a little dazed.

It was silent for a little while, someone in the audience coughed, and then the curtains drew down again and Robbie came back out on stage singing another song about broken glass. Cat soon followed, doing cartwheels and juggling.

I didn't want to, but I decided to go back out behind stage to see what was happening. This whole play seemed like a disaster and I had no idea how they were going to fix it. Already people were leaving.

Backstage was a mess, Andre was arguing with anyone around him and Sikowitz was yelling at a wall. Tori stood near a door, her index finger and thumb pinching the bridge between her nose.

"Hey," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.

She looked up and her whole face seemed to relax as she saw me, a wide smile spreading across her face. "You're still here."

I shrugged, "So are you."

She glanced behind me and grimaced, her smile fading and I felt a small wave of sadness that something so beautiful could fade so quickly. "This whole thing is a disaster."

Andre was shouting louder now, "I need you all to listen to me, if we just send some relief out…" his voice trailed off as everyone else started yelling louder over the top of him. "Does anyone know Beck's lines?! Can anyone learn them now in the next two minutes?!"

I crossed my arms and stared at the floor, everything in my body telling me to go for it but my mind kept saying _no. no. no._

There was no time to think.

I grabbed Tori's arm and pulled her back on stage. Robbie stopped singing as he saw us and I gave him a look that he seemed to understand. He grabbed a tap dancing Cat and hauled them both off stage.

The curtains were once again lifted and the backdrop was revealed. Tori's eyes were wide, understanding finally what I was about to do.

I tried not to look at the crowd. I could see Lane in the front seat, Tori's parents and Trina were somewhere in the crowd. Not to mention the countless people who attended Hollywood Arts were in the audience.

But I swallowed my nerves down; they tasted bitter.

"We're just two lonely people," I said, not bothering with an accent.

Tori also gulped, I could tell she was struggling not to look at the audience as well; this whole thing was making us both so nervous we were both shaking visibly. "…In a lonely place…" she replied.

Everything seemed to slow down to this moment, all my feelings I had for her were shared with one glance. Our eyes were locked now, there was no letting go. Slowly but surely, my nerves ceased and were replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling. I had never been so sure of myself in my entire life than what I knew and felt right now.

"I… I don't know why," I said a little louder.

All of my previous doubts fading into nothing. Right here in the moment just felt so right. Tori and I had something special and I knew now that how I felt was never going to change.

I knew now that I had always felt this way about her. In this moment, the world had never felt so right.

I took a deep breath, "I think… I think I love you."

Tori's expression softened into compassionate look as her eyes melted in mine and she smiled slightly. "I don't know why…" and it was in the way she was staring at me, that was how I knew.

I knew that how I felt about her; she felt the same way too. We were meant to be together.

_Nothing_ was going to change that.

She grabbed my hands and pulled me in closer, our faces just inches from each other. The crowd was silent and still, mesmerised and probably a little confused as to what was happening; but no one willing to do anything because they wanted to see what was going to happen next.

Well they didn't have to wait long.

Tori licked her lips slightly and took in a deep breath, "I think I love you too."

That was it, all of my feelings seemed to build up and up; I was once again not in control of my actions but I didn't fight it.

We both leaned in closer.

As soon as our lips met it was like nothing I had ever felt before. Her lips were soft, and the kiss was deep but gentle. My whole body responded to it, I shivered under the weight of all my feelings and it felt like I was a firework ready to explode.

The kiss deepened, I could barely hear the roar of the crowd; people were clapping and cheering.

I didn't care.

I had Tori; nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing was more important.

I loved Tori. And she loved me. I let my lips and tongue express exactly how I felt about her, and her body responded almost like clockwork; hungrily.

Eventually, we parted. Mostly because we both needed air, but also because I suddenly had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach again. Although it was completely unrelated to what had just happened.

I knew this, because as we turned to take a bow; our hands locked, I saw my parents at the back of the room.

My mom was crying. But I knew somehow that it wasn't in a bad way. I felt like she finally understood me.

Dad was beside her.

He was smiling,

He was actually genuinely smiling.

Our previous argument was clearly forgotten.

Everything that had happened leading up to this moment seemed trivial; as if it never even mattered.

Tori's parents were clapping and cheering and Trina just looked stunned.

The whole crew came out on stage to take their final bow, and we all took in the applause and roaring of the crowd together. Tori and I never let go, however. As if we were both afraid that the other would disappear if we let go.

Andre walked up to us, grinning. "I knew it."

Cat was squealing and jumping all over us in excitement. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

Sikowitz eventually stumbled out onto stage, and stopped at us; giving us a wink. "It only took how long…?"

We took another final bow before we walked off stage. Tori and I were last to leave, but as we left we felt like different people. The same. But different.

I had a feeling that things would be different from now on; but in a good way.

As we walked off stage, Tori gave my hand another squeeze. "I really do love you." She whispered.

I pulled her in close, "I really do love you too, Vega."

* * *

_**~~FINIS~~**_


End file.
